3V 
II 03 


NRLF 


IN  MEMORIAM 
BERNARD  MOSES 


" 


OPNI0X1N    EKAOFAI 

SCENES 

FROM  THE 

BIRDS   OF  ARISTOPHANES 


THE  TRANSLATION 


ISAAC    FLAGG 


BffWAflD 


BERKELEY 

THE    UNIVERSITY    PRESS 
1903 


THE   MASKS. 


PISTHETAERUS  IRIS  POSEIDON 

EUELP1DES  PROMETHEUS  HERACLES 

MESSENGERS  TRIBALLUS 

CHORUS     OF     BIRDS 


916834 


THE  ARGUMENT. 


Two  Athenians,  PISTHETAERUS  (Chickwin)  and  EUELPIDES  (Hopegood), 
tired  of  the  humdrum  life  in  their  native  city,  choose  to  migrate  and  cast  in 
their  lot  with  the  birds.  By  the  eloquence  of  Chickwin  the  birds  have  been 
persuaded  to  build  a  city  in  the  air,  declare  themselves  independent  of  both 
gods  and  men,  and  assert  their  ancient  prerogative  of  the  sovereignty  of  the 
universe.  While  the  two  men  are  occupied  in  the  inner  sanctuary,  whither 
they  have  withdrawn  to  be  fledged,  the  bird-chorus,  in  the  "  Parabasis," 
present  their  manifesto  to  the  public. 


PARABASIS. 

(Translated  by  ALGERNON  CHARLES  SWINBUENE.) 

Come  on  then   ye   dwellers  by  nature   in  darkness,    and  like  to  the 

leaves'  generations, 
That  are   little  of  might,  that  are  moulded  of  mire,  unenduring  and 

shadow-like  nations, 
Poor  plumeless  ephemerals,  comfortless  mortals,  as  visions  of  shadows 

fast  fleeing. 
Lift  up  your  mind  unto  us  that  are  deathless,  and  dateless  the  date  of 

our  being: 


Us,  children  of  heaven,  ageless  for  aye,  us,  all  of  whose  thoughts  are 

eternal ; 
That  ye  may  from  henceforth,  having  heard  of  us  all  things  aright  as 

to  matters  supernal, 
Of  the  being  of  birds,  and  beginning  of  gods,  and  of  streams,  and  the 

dark  beyond  reaching, 
Truthfully  knowing  aright,  in  my  name  bid  Prodicus  pack    with  his 

preaching. 
It  was  Chaos  and  Night  at  the  first,  and  the  blackness  of  darkness, 

and  Hell's  broad  border, 
Earth  was  not,  nor  air,  neither  heaven ;  when  in  depths  of  the  womb 

of  the  dark  without  order 
First   thing   first-born    of    the    black -plumed  night  was  a  wind -egg 

hatched  in- her  bosom, 
Whence  timely  with  seasons  revolving  again  sweet  Love  burst  out  as 

a  blossom, 

Gold  wings  gleaming  forth  of  his  back,  like  whirlwinds  gustily  turning. 
He,   after  his  wedlock  with  Chaos,   whose  wings  are  of  darkness,  in 

Hell  broad-burning, 
For  his  nestlings  begat  him  the  race  of  us  first,   and  upraised  us  to 

light  new -lighted, 
And  before  this  was  not  the  race  of  the  gods,  until  all  things  by  Love 

were  united: 
And  of  kind  united  with  kind  in  communion  of  nature  the  sky  and 

the  sea  are 
Brought  forth,  and  the  earth  and  the  race  of  the  gods  everlasting  and 

blest.     So  that  we  are 
Far  away  the  most  ancient  of  all  things  blest.     And  that  we  are  of 

Love's  generation 
There    are    manifest    manifold    signs.     We  have  wings,  and  with  us 

have  the  Loves  habitation; 
And  manifold  fair  young  folk  that  foreswore  love  once,  ere  the  bloom 

of  them  ended, 


Have  the  men  that  pursued  and  desired  them  subdued,  by  the  help  of 

us  only  befriended, 
With   such  baits   as   a  quail,    a  flamingo,    a  goose,  or  a  cock's  comb 

staring  and  splendid. 
All  best  good  things  that  befall  men  come  from  us  birds,  as  is  plain 

to  all  reason ; 
For  first  we  proclaim  and  make  known  to  them  spring,  and  the  winter 

and  autumn  in  season: 
Bid  sow,  when  the  crane  starts  clanging  for  Afric,    in  shrill -voiced 

emigrant  number, 
And  calls  to  the  pilot  to  hang  up  his  rudder  again  for  the  season,  and 

slumber ; 
And  then  weave  cloak  for  Orestes  the  thief,  lest  he  strip  men  of  theirs 

if  it  freezes. 
And  again  thereafter  the  kite  reappearing  announces  a  change  in  the 

breezes, 
And  that  here  is  the  season  for  shearing  your  sheep  of  their  spring 

wool.     Then  does  the  swallow 
Give   you  notice  to  sell  your  greatcoat,  and  provide  something  light 

for  the  heat  that's  to  follow. 
Thus  are  we  as  Ammon  or  Delphi  unto  you,  Dodona,  nay,  Phoebus 

Apollo. 
For,  as  first  ye  come  all  to  get  auguries  of  birds,  even  such  is  in  all 

things  your  carriage, 
Be  the  matter  a  matter  of  trade  or  of  earning  your  bread,  or  of  any 

one's  marriage. 
And  all  things  we  lay  to  the  charge  of  a  bird  that  belongs  to  discerning 

prediction : 
"Winged  fame  is  a  bird,  as  you  reckon;  you  sneeze,  and  the  sign  's  as 

a  bird  for  conviction : 
All  tokens    are    'birds'    with    you  — sounds    too,    and    lackeys,    and 

donkeys.     Then  must  it  not  follow 
That   we    ARE    to    you    all    as  the  manifest  godhead  that  speaks  in 

prophetic  Apollo? 


In  the  following  scenes  and  songs,  from  the  latter  part  of  the  comedy  of 
the  Birds,  Aristophanes,  while  holding  constantly  to  the  fanciful  dramatic 
illusion  of  a  winged  community  and  a  city  in  the  air,  has  introduced,  after 
his  usual  manner,  a  great  many  witty  allusions  of  a  local  and  personal 
character,  besides  reminiscences  and  travesties  of  the  famous  literature  of 
his  time.  Such  passages  cannot,  of  course,  impress  the  modern  reader  as 
forcibly  as  they  must  have  impressed  the  contemporaries  of  the  poet  in  the 
Dionysiac  theatre  at  Athens ;  still  less  can  their  effect  be  adequately 
conveyed  by  means  of  a  translation  into  a  modern  tongue. 

IBIS,  personification  of  the  rainbow,  messenger  of  the  gods  of  Heaven,  is 
a  familiar  figure  to  readers  of  the  Iliad  of  Homer.  We  can  well  understand 
the  surprise  and  indignation  manifested  by  the  goddess,  when  in  Scene  IV. 
she  is  intercepted  on  her  flight  down  to  Earth,  informed  that  she  is  guilty  of 
trespass,  and  called  upon  to  show  her  passport. 

PROMETHEUS,  a  god  of  the  fallen  dynasty  of  the  Titans,  sentenced  by 
Zeus,  for  stealing  fire  and  bestowing  it  as  a  gift  upon  mortals,  to  be  chained 
to  a  cliff  of  Mt.  Caucasus  and  preyed  upon  eternally  by  a  ravenous  vulture, 
is  known  to  readers  of  Aeschylus  as  a  type  of  lofty  courage,  sublime 
endurance,  and  a  proudly  defiant  spirit.  As  he  appears  in  Scene  V. 
Prometheus  has  clearly  deteriorated  in  respect  to  some  of  the  nobler 
qualities  of  ihe  soul,  while  his  hatred  for  the  gods  of  the  Zeus  administra- 
tion, and  his  love  for  men  —  and  birds,  remain  undiminished. 

POSEIDON,  god  of  the  sea,  and  HERACLES,  the  mighty  hero  and  demi-god, 
introduced  in  Scene  VI.  as  ambassadors  of  Zeus  to  the  birds,  are  typical,  in 
the  comic  representation,  the  former  of  the  elegant  Athenian  aristocracy, 
the  latter  of  a  class  that  would  include  the  professional  athlete  and  the 
sporting  man. — Triballus,  the  third  member  of  the  divine  commission, 
supposed  to  represent  a  hitherto  unknown  race  of  foreign  gods,  is  a  pure 
invention  of  Aristophanes ;  the  name  being  taken  from  the  Triballoi,  a  semi- 
barbarous  people  inhabiting  lands  near  the  Danube,  the  district  of  the 
modern  Servia  and  Bulgaria. 


Birds  of  the  air  enjoy  superior  opportunities  of  sight-seeing.  During  the 
brief  intervals  following  Scenes  IV.  and  V.  the  bird-chorus  descant  upon 
wonders  seen  by  them  in  unheard-of  lands.  But  the  lands  and  the  wonders 
are  familiar  places  and  persons,  comically  transformed. —  Cleonymus,  a 
sycophant,  a  poltroon  and  coward  withal,  who  had  thrown  away  his  shield  in 
battle,  is  celebrated  as  an  exotic  of  marvellous  characteristics.—  Orestes,  a 
famous  footpad,  nicknamed  after  the  heroic  son  of  Agamemnon,  haunts  a 
locality  where  street  lamps  are  as  far  apart  as  trees  in  the  Desert  of  Sahara. 
Be  it  remembered  that  what  the  ancient  highwayman  demanded  of  his 
victims  was  their  clothing  rather  than  their  money.—  Socrates,  the  seedy, 
the  soul-compelling  sage,  is  found  in  charge  of  lost  souls,  of  which,  appar- 
ently, his  cadaverous  friend  and  disciple  Chaerephon  is  one.  To  their 
comic  Lake  Avernus  comes  Peisander,  demagogue  and  shifty  politician, 
aiming  to  recover,  after  the  Homeric  method,  his  oivn  soul,  while  yet  in  life; 
as  in  the  Odyssey  of  Homer  Odysseus  is  enabled  to  communicate  with  the 
inmates  of  the  Underworld  by  means  of  a  blood-offering  which  attracts  them 
from  their  shadowy  abodes. — The  Sycophants,  or  common  informers,  who 
subsisted  largely  by  intimidating  well-to-do  and  quiet-loving  citizens  with 
trumped-up  charges  and  suits  at  law,  were  an  especial  object  of  the  comic 
poets'  scorn  and  satire.  The  names  Gorgias  and  Philippus  occur  as  repre- 
sentative of  this  class,  and  against  them,  as  often  at  the  expense  of  other 
butts  of  comedy,  the  insinuation  of  foreign  extraction,  or  spurious  claim  to 
citizenship,  is  thrown  out. 

Very  frequent  likewise  in  the  comedies  of  Aristophanes  are  brief  witty 
allusions  to  notorious  individuals  in  the  course  of  the  dialogue :  such  as  the 
mention  of  the  boasters  Theogenes,  Aeschines,  and  Proxenides;  Cleisthenes, 
the  effeminate;  Laespodias,  who,  to  conceal  some  natural  defect  of  person, 
wore  his  mantle  in  a  peculiar  manner;  and  Execestides,  a  foreigner  who  had 
stolen  an  aristocraric  name  and  by  some  fraud  attained  to  Athenian  citizen- 
ship. The  poet  would  instruct  his  actors  to  ascertain  where  the  victims  of 
these  sudden  sallies  were  seated  among  the  spectators  in  the  theatre,  that 
the  opportunity  might  not  be  missed  of  pointing  significantly  at  each  person 
at  the  proper  moment  in  the  performance  of  the  play. 


The  Old  Comedy  of  Athens  made  extensive  use  of  parody  as  an  instru- 
ment of  wit  and  satire:  sometimes  quoting  and  humorously  perverting 
familiar  passages  of  the  national  epic,  lyric,  and  dramatic  poetry;  at  other 
times  imitating,  with  more  or  less  of  exaggeration,  the  manner  of  serious 
verse,  especially  the  style  and  tone  of  tragedy.  Illustrations  of  tragic 
parody  are  afforded  by  the  warnings  of  Iris  and  the  response  thereto,  near 
the  end  of  Scene  IV.,  also  by  the  words  of  the  messenger  at  the  beginning 
of  Scene  VII. 

The  Grand  Finale  of  the  Birds  may  serve  to  remind  us  that  Aristophanes, 
while  by  pre-eminence  a  comic  poet,  was  likewise  an  acknowledged  master 
of  the  lyrical  art,  pure  and  simple.  Many  of  his  songs,  quite  free  from  any 
admixture  of  the  grotesque  or  humorous  element,  are  charming  creations  of 
bright  fancy  and  airy  grace,  couched  in  language  of  surpassing  melody  and 
sweetness.  In  this  regard  he  has  been  justly  compared  to  our  own 
Shakspeare, 

"  Fancy's  child, 
"  Warbling  his  native  woodnotes  wild." 


A. 


Hi.    ravrl  roiavrL'   pa  At'  eya)  pev  TTpdj/jid  TTCO 
yeXoidrepov  ov/c  el&ov  ovSeTrcoTrore. 

Ev.    €7rl  TO)  76X09  ; 

lit.  eVl  TOtai  crot? 

olaO*  ft>  /JLa\L 
et?  evT€\€iav 

Eu.    (TV  Be  Ko^fya)  <ye  cricdfyiov  a7roreTiXyLteVft». 

lit.    ravrl  fjiev  yKda-^eada  Kara  rbv 
a\\a  rot?  avrwv 


Xo.    a7e  8^  rt  %pr)  Spdv ; 

lit.  Trpwrov  ovo/jia  rrj  iroXei 

OecrOai  n  pe^a  Kal  K\eivov,  elra  rot?  #eot? 

fiera  rovro. 

Ef.  ravra  ica/Aol  avvBoKel. 

Xo.    </>e/o'  I'&Oj  rt  S'  ?5/>tt^  TOVVO/A   ecrrai  TTJ 
Eu.    {3ov\eo-0e  TO  fjieya  TOUTO  rou/c 
ovo/jia 


10 


SCENE  I. 


Enter  PISTHETAERUS  and  EUELPIDES,  fledged. 

Pistil.    So  far,  so  good!     I  swear  I  never  saw 
A  funnier  exhibition  in  my  life ! 

Eu.  Why,  what  do  you  see  to  laugh  at? 

Pistil.  Your  pinfeathers. 

Do  you  know  what  you  look  like,  fitted  out  with  wings? — 
The  counterfeit  presentment  of  a  goose. 

Eu.    And  you  like  a  blackbird!     You  must  have  worn  a  bowl 
When  last  the  barbers  trimm'd  your  sorry  poll. 

Pistil.    [To  the  spectators.}  Our  model  for  these  gibes  is  Aeschylus: 
"Lo,  mine  own  feathers  wing'd  the  fatal  shaft!" 

LEADER  OF  CHORUS. 

Chor.    Hey,  now!     What's  to  be  done? 

Pisth.  First  give  the  city 

A  great  and  famous  name.     Then,  offer  sacrifice 
To  the  new  gods. 

Eu.  My  sentiments  exactly! 

Chor.   But  come,  say,  what  name  shall  our  city  have? 

Eu.  Will  you  take  that  mighty  one  from  Lacedaemon, 
And  name  it  Sparta? 


11 


Til. 

yap  av  6eifJLr]v  eyw  TTJ/JLTJ  TroXet  ; 
ou8'  av  xa/jLevvy  IT  aw  76  /ceipiav  7'  e^cov. 

Et>.    Tt  BrJT  ovofjC  avrf)  #7?o-o'/^eo-0'  ; 

Xo.  evrevdevl 

eic  TWV  vefyeXwv  KOI  r&v  /jLereaipcov 


Xo.    lov  lov' 
/ca\dv  7'  are^^co?  av  /cal  nerf  yvpes 

Eu.    a/o'  ecTTt^  avrrjryl 
iva  real  ra  ®eoyevovs  ra  7ro\\a  %pij  para 
rd  T*  Alcr%LVOv  7'  airavra  ; 

lit.  /cat  XOXTTOZ;  fte 

TO  t&Xeras  Trebiov    tV  ot  ^eoi  TOL>? 


Xo.    \nrapov  TO  ^pij/jia  TT)?  vroXeft)?.      TI?  8at  ^eo 
ecrTcu  ;   T<£  ^avov^ev  rbv  7re7r\ov  ; 

Et>.    TI  S'  ou/c  "*  K.Qj)vaiav  ew/ie^  IloXtaSa  ; 

lit.    /cat  7T<W9  ai/  eVt  yevoir  av  evra/CTOS  Tro'Xt?, 
OTTOU  ^eo?  71^77  yeyovvia  iravoTrXiav 
e(TTi)K   e^ovaa^  KXeto-#eV?7?  Se  /cep/clSa: 

Eu.    Tt?  £at  icade^ei  T?}?  Tro'Xeaj?  TO  TLe\ap<yi/cdv  ; 

Xo.    0/3  vt?  a^>'  77/^1;  ToO  7eVof?  ToO 
ovrrep  Xe-yeTat  SeivdraTOS  elvou 


12 


Pisth.  Heracles,  not  I! 

Think  you  I'd  put  up  with  sparring  in  my  city? 
I'd  sooner  take  a  ship's  spar  to  a  bedstead! 

Eu.   What  shall  we  call  it,  then? 

Chor.  Something  from  right  here, 

From  the  clouds  and  the  upper  regions  of  the  air. 
Something  right  puffy. 

Pisth.  How  about  Cloudcuckootown? 

Chor.    Hurrah,  hurrah! 
You  have  found  a  great  big  downright  splendid  name ! 

Eu.    Is  it  the  Cloudcuckootown  where  those  braggarts, 
Theogenes  and  Aeschines,  maintain 
Their  vast  estates? 

Pisth.  Or,  better  still,  the  place 

Known  as  the  plain  of  Phlegra,  where  the  gods  beat 
The  earth-born  giants  in  a  boasting -match! 

Chor.    A  slick  thing  of  a  city!     What  god,  pray, 
Shall  guard  it,  and  take  our  offering  of  the  robe? 

Eu.    Well,  why  not  let  Athena  still  be  guardian? 

Pisth.    Indeed,  is  such  a  thing  conceivable?— 
An  orderly  community,  where  a  woman 
Stands  in  full  armor  as  the  guardian  god, 
And  leaves  the  shuttle  to  Sissy  Cleisthenes! 

Eu.  Who  is  to  take  the  wall  in  charge? 

Chor.    A  bird  of  Persian  breed  we  have  among  us, 
A  fighter,  deem'd  the  doughtiest  in  the  world 
Of  Ares'  chickens. 


Eu.  &  veorre  BeaTrora- 

<»?  B'  o  0eo?  eTriTijBeios  ol/celv  eVl  Trerpwv. 

Hi.    aye  vvv  crv  fjiev  fldSi^e  TT/OO?  TOZ^  aepa 
ical  Tolcn  T€L^i^ovcrL  TrapaBLatcdvei^ 
^aXt/ca?  Trapacfrdpeij  7nj\ov  a?ro5u?  opyacrov, 
\e/cdv7]v  aveveyfce^  /caraTrecr'  avro  rr) 
<^uXa/ca?  /cardo-Trjcraij  TO  TrO/3  ey/cpvTrr  ae 
/cco&covo(f)opwv  Trepirpe^e  /cal  tcdOevft  efcel' 
/crjpvica  8e  Trefji^frov  rbv  /Jiev  e?  ^eou?  az^&)? 
erepov  8'  dvcoOev  av  Trap1  avOptoirovs  /caTCO^ 
avdis  Trap"1  e/te. 

Ef.  o"u  Se  7'  avrov 

Trap   eft '. 

lit.  t#'  a>yd&  ol  7T€fjL7rco  cr'  670). 

ouSez^  7^/0  avev  aov  TWV&  a  \e<ya) 
ea)  be  Ovcra)  rolcn  Kcuvolaiv 


14 


Eu.  My  Lord  Chick,  all-hail! 

A  deity  well  pick'd  to  roost  on  rocks. 

Pisth.    [To  EUELPIDES.]    Here  you,  be  off!  March  into  the  air,    and 

stand 

Beady  to  help  the  builders  of  the  wall. 
Keep  them  in  rubble;  strip,  and  wet  the  mortar; 
Up  with  the  hod;  down  tumble  from  the  ladder; 
Set  the  night  watches ;  be  sure  and  bank  the  fires ; 
Run  round  bell -ringing;  lie  down  and  go  to  sleep  there! 
Send  off  two  heralds :  one  to  the  gods  above, 
Another  down  to  mortal  men  on  earth; 
Then  back  and  report  to  me. 

Eu.  And  you  stay  here 

And  be  hang'd! — to  me. 

Pisth.  Go  straight,  sir,  where  I  send  you. 

Nothing  whereof  I  speak  will  be  done  without  you. — 
For  my  part,  I'll  go  forth,  and  at  the  altars 
Of  these  new  gods  will  offer  sacrifice. 


15 


B. 


lit.    TO,  fjiev  lep   yiJiiv  evnv  wpwOes  /ca\d" 
aXX'  <w?  CLTTO  TOV  Tefyovs  TrdpecrTiv  dyye\os 
ouSet?,  orov  TrevcrdfJLeOa  ra/cel  Trpdy/JLara. 
ovToal  reei  rt?  'AXetoi^  irvecov. 


7TOV    7TOV         Tt      7TOV  7TOV  7TOV        rt      7TOV  7TOV  7TOV 


TTOV  TlicrOeraipds  ecrnv  a 

Tit.  OVTOdL 

'Ay.    efft)/co  SO/AT;  rat  crou  TO 

lit. 

'A7.    icd\\i(TTOV  epyov  Kal 
war  av  eTrdvo)  pev  Tlpo£evi&7)S  6 
/cal  %eo<yevr]<s  evawriw  Bv  appare 
ILTTTTCOV  VTTOVTCOV  /Lte^ye^o?  ocrov  6 
VTTO  TOV  TrXarou?  av  7rape\ao-aiTijv. 

Hi. 

'A7«    TO  Be  fjLrjicd<;  ecrrt,  /cal  yap  e/JLerprja'  avr 
eKarovTOpdyviov. 


SCENE  II. 

Enter  PISTHETAERUS. 

Pisih.    Our  sacrifices  prosper,  fellow  birds; 
But  as  for  tidings  from  the  wall,  how  comes  it 
No  messenger  is  yet  on  hand  to  post  us? 
Ah,  here's  a  runner,  puffing  Olympic  records! 

Enter  a  Messenger,  panting. 

Mess.  Where — where — where  is  he? — where — where  is  he?  where- 
Where's  Chickwin,  the  bird  manager? — where? 

Pisth.  Right  here. 

Mess.    Your  wall's  all  built  and  finish' d. 

Pisth.  Bravo !  Well  done ! 

Mess.    A  most  magnificent  affair!     On  top 
It's  wide  enough  for  Proxenus  of  Bragtown, 
And  Theogenes,  to  drive  past  one  another 
In  chariots  drawn  by  horses  of  the  size 
Of  the  wooden  horse  of  Troy. 

Pisth.  Lord  Heracles ! 

Mess.    And  the  height  ( I  measured  it  myself )  counts  up 
Six -hundred  feet! 


lit.  w  Tld(rei8ov  TOV 

rtW?  (pfcoSdfJLrjo-av  avrb  Tr)\i/covrovi; 

'Ay.    opwOes^  oi)Set?  a'XXo?,  ov/c 
Tr\ivdo$6pos 7  ow  \i0ovpyds  7  ov  re/crew 
a\\y  auro^et/oe?,  wo- 
ex  /Jiev  ye  Ai/3u//9  r]icov  a)? 
yepavoi  ^e/^eXtou?  Kara7re7ra)/cvlaL  \i6ovs. 
TOVTOVS  8'  ervici^ov  al  Kpeices  roZ?  pv 
erepot,  8'  eTr\iv6o$6povv  7re\apyoi 
vBcop  8'  ecfrdpovv  /cdrcoOev  e?  TOV  aepa 
ol  %apaSpiol  Kal  rd\\a  TTOTdfJu,'  opvea. 

lit.    eTrrjXocfrdpovv  8'  avToicn  rtVe?  ; 

'A7.  epa)8iol 

Xe/cdvaiai. 

Hi.  TOI/  8e  7n]\ov  eVe/3aXX 

'AY.  roOr'  &>7a#'  e^rjvprjro  /cal 
ol  %>}^e?  VTTOTVTTTOvres  coaTrep  rat? 
e?  ra?  \eicdvas  eve/3a\\ov  avrois  row  7ro8olv. 

lit.    rt7  S^ra  Tro'Se?  az^  oi)/c  az^  epyaaalaro, 

'Ay.    Kal  vr)  At'  at  vijrraL  ye 
€7r\iv0o(f)dpovv      dvco  8e  rov  vTraycoyea 
eVero^r'  e^ovaai  Karoinv  wo-jrep 
TOV  TTTjXbv  ev  rot?  (JTOfjiaaiv  at 

lit.    rt  S^ra  /JH,cr6(0TOvs  av  ert 
^>e/o*  t'Sft),  rt  8at ;   ra  £v\iva  TOV  ret^ou?  rtW? 
cnreipydo-avT  ; 


Pisth.  Poseidon,  what  a  height! 

Who  built  the  wall  so  big? 

Mess.  Birds,  and  birds  only! 

No  bricklayer  from  Egypt,  no  stonecutter,  no  joiner! 
Birds,  with  their  own  hands,  an  amazing  thing! 
From  Libya  there  came  cranes,  some  thirty-thousand, 
Each  with  a  paving-stone  inside  her  belly, 
That  she  had  swallowed  for  ballast.     These  stones  the  rails 
Hew'd  with  their  bills  to  the  right  shape  for  building. 
Another  stork  contingent  of  ten-thousand 
Made  brick,  with  bitterns  and  other  aquatic  birds 
To  carry  the  water  up  into  the  air. 

Pisth.  Who  brought  the  clay  up  for  them? 

Mess.  Pelicans, 

In  their  pouches. 

Pisth.  How  was  it  shovel 'd  in? 

Mess.  That,  sir, 

Was  most  ingeniously  devis'd:  the  geese 
Got  down,  and,  digging  under  in  spade  fashion, 
They  fili'd  the  pouches  by  shoveling  with  their  feet. 

Pisth.  Well,  after  that,  what  feat  can  seem  surprising? 

Mess.    The  ducks,  moreover,  tied  aprons  round  their  necks 
And  carried  the  brick.     Tomtits  came  flying  behind 
With  the  trowels ;  while  the  mortar  for  it  all 
Was  fetch'd  by  swallows,  a  mouthful  at  a  time. 

Pisth.    Dear  me,  what  use  are  hired  men  any  longer?  — 
Let's  see,  what  next?     Who  finished  the  timber  work 
For  the  fortress? 


19 


r)vav  re/troves 

ao(f)coTaTOL  TreXetcavres  ?  01  rots  pvy^eaiv 
a7re7re\etcrjo-av  ra?  TruXa?-   971;  8'  6  KTVTTOS 
avroiv  7re\€K(t)i>TC0v  coaTrep  ev 
ical  vvv  ajravr'  e/ceiva  7re7rv\c0Tai 
KOI  /3e/3a\dv(t)Tai  ical 


(f>v\aical  KaOear^KacfL  /cal 
ev  roicri  Trvpyois.      aXX'  eym 

i'   crv  8'  at'ro?  ijSr)  rd\\a  Spa. 


Xo.    oi/ro?  TI  Trotet? ;   apa  OavfJid^eis  on 
ovrco  TO  ret^o?  eKTeTei^icnai  ra^v; 

Hi.    vrj  row  #eou?  eyto^ye'  /cal  jap  a^io 

jap  a\r)Qa)<>  (fraiverai  JJLOL  ^evSeo-iv. 

'  ooe  cfrvXaj;  jap  TWV  eiceWev  djje\os 
ecrOel  TT/OO?  ^/m?  Bevpo  Trvppi^rjv  (3\€7ra)v. 


Mess.  Bird  carpenters,  a  clever  lot 

Of  woodpeckers,  using  their  beaks  to  hew 
The  gates  and  shape  them.     You  might  hear  a  din 
As  in  a  shipyard,  while  they  peck'd  away. 
And  now  the  gate -making  up  there  is  all  finish'd. 
All's  barr'd  and  bolted  and  guarded  round  about; 
Patrols  and  bell-ringers  all  on  hand;  night  watches 
Station'd,  and  fire-signals  kindled  in  the  towers. — 
But  I'll  run  out  and  get  a  wash.     What  still 
Remains  to  be  done,  attend  to  that  yourself. 

LEADER  OF  CHORUS. 

Chor.    [To  PISTHETAERUS.]    Ho,    what's    the  matter  there?     Are  you 

lost  in  wonder, 
That  the  fortification  was  foisted  up  so  quickly? 

PistJi.    Ay,  that  I  am!     It's  worthy  of  wonder.     It  seems 
In  very  truth  just  like  a  mass  of  fiction. — 
But  here  comes  one  of  the  guards  with  tidings  for  us, 
Running  in  with  blood  and  thunder  in  his  eye ! 


21 


r. 


"y.    iov  tou?  LOV  iov^  t,ov  iov. 
Hi.    TI  TO  Trpdy/jLa  TOUT/; 
'AY.  Seivdrara 

jap  Oewv  Ti9  apn  rwv  Trapa  rov  Ato? 
Sia  TO>V  7rv\wv  etVeTrrer'  e?  rov  ae 


Tit.    (S  Sewbv  epyov  Kal  o-^er\LOV  el 
TI?  TWZ^  Oecov, 

'A7.  ou/c  IdfJiev'  OTL  &  efye  Trrepd, 


lit.    OVKOVV  Srjra  7repL7rd\ovs  e 
Kar  avrbv  evdvs  ; 


lepaicas  tT 
l  8e  Tra?  rt? 

pidpxrjs  <yvijr  KVfjiivSis  at'ero?- 
/owyLt?;  re  /cat  Trrepolcri  /cal  p 
alOrjp  Soveircu  rov  Oeov 
KCKTT  ou  /JLa/cpav  a7T(o6ev,  aXX'  evravdd  TTOV 
rj&rj  'crriv. 

lit.  OVKOVV  (TfavBdvas  Bel  \a/ji/3dveiv 

/cal  rofa  ;   %a)/3et  Sevpo  Tra?  vTTTjperr)^- 
rd^eve  Trate,  <T(f>ev8di>7]v  rt?  /-tot  Sora). 


SCENE  III. 
Enter  a  Messenger,  running. 

Mess.    Murder!     Oho!  stop  thief !     Oho,  oho! 

Pistil.  What's  all  this  pother? 

Mess.  A  shame,  a  perfect  outrage! 

Some  one  of  the  late  gods,  one  of  the  Zeus  persuasion, 
Has  flown  in  thro'  the  gates,  into  our  air, 
Dodging  the  jackdaw  pickets  and  the  scouts. 

Pisth.    O  damnable  offence!  The  infamous  sinner! 
Which  one  of  the  gods? 

Mess.  We  don't  know.     That  it  had  wings, 

We  know  that  only. 

Pisth.  You  should  have  sent,  straightway, 

Rangers,  to  run  him  down. 

Mess.  We  did  send  off 

Mounted  jayhawkers,  thirty-thousand  strong. 
Just  everything  with  crook'd  claws  is  abroad, 
Kite,  vulture,  eagle,  every  mother's  son. 
The  swirling,  swishing  of  their  pinions  makes 
The  welkin  shiver,  a -searching  out  that  god. 
And  it's  not  far  off;  it  must  be,  even  now, 
Somewhere  close  by! 

Pisth.  Ho,  slings  here!     Take  your  bows 

And  arrows !     Every  private  report  for  duty ! 
Shoot,  shoot!     Let  fly!     Hey,  pass  me  up  a  sling! 


A. 


lit.    avrrj  av^  Trot  Trot  Trot  Treret;   /-leV  770-1^05, 
e%  arpe/jias'  avrov  crrTJO'-   eTrtcr^e?  rov  Spd/jiov. 
Tt5  el  ;   TroSaTrr)  ;   \eyeiv  e^pyjv  oiroOev  TTOT  el. 

I/o.    Trapa  rwv  Oewv  eywye  rwv  'OXfyLtTT/o)^. 

lit.    ovo/jia  8e  CTOL  TL  eart  ;   TrXotoz^  rj  KVVTJ  ; 

I/O.   *I/9t?  ra^ela. 

lit.  IlapaXo?  ?5  S 

I/o.    rt  £e  TOUTO  ; 

lit.  Tavrr)vi  TV.?  ou 


I/o.  e/^e 

TTOT'  etrrt  rourl  TO  /ca/cdv  ; 


Ip.    droTTOv  76  TOfrt 

Tli.  Kara  Trota?  ?rvXa? 

e?  TO  Tet^o?  (5  fjuapcordrr)  ; 

I/o.    ou/c  otSa  /ita  At'  eycjye  Kara  7rota5  TruXa?. 

lit.    ij/covcras  avrr)1?  olov  elpwveverai  ; 
TT/OO?  TOU5  /coXota/o^a?  7rpO(rr)\6es  ;   ou  Xeyet?  ; 
o-typaylft  e^et?  Trapa  TWV  7re\apywv  ; 

I/o.  Tt  TO  /caicdv. 


24 


SCENE  IV. 

Enter  IRIS,  flying. 

Pisth.    Ho,  you  she!  Where,  where,  where 're  you  fly  ing?  Hold  still; 
Keep  quiet;  stand  there;  let  up  on  that  run,  I  say! 
What  ship  is  that?     Heave  to,  and  tell  where  you  hail  from! 

Iris.    From  the  gods  am  I,  the  great  gods  of  Olympus. 

Pisth.  What  name  do  you  sport?     Are  you  sailboat  or  sun -bonnet? 

Iris.    Iris,  the  speedy. 

Pisth.  Reliance,  or  Defender? 

Iris.  What  does  this  mean? 

Pisth.  Won't  some  cockatoo  fly  up 

And  take  this  woman  in  tow? 

Iris.  Take  me  in  tow? 

What  insolence  is  this? 

Pisth.  O,  you  will  catch  it! 

Iris.    How  perfectly  ridiculous! 

Pisth.  By  what  gate 

Did  you  come  into  the  city,  you  dirty  creature? 

Iris.    Upon  my  word  I  don't  know  by  what  gate! 

Pisth.    Do  you  hear  her,  now?  —  pretending  she  doesn't  know!  — 
Have  you  call'd  at  the  kingbird's  office? — Can't  you  speak? — 
Got  a  pass  from  the  peacocks? 

Iris.  Mercy!  what  means  this  outrage? 


lit.    OUK  e'Xa/3e? ; 
I/o. 

lit.  ov&e  o~vfji(3o\ov 

€7re/3a\ev  opvidap'^os  ouSek  <TOI  Trapcov ; 

I/o.    /za  At*  OVK  e/jLOL<yy  eTreftaXev  ovSeis    &  /Jt,e\e. 
Hi.    KaTreira  8r)0'  ovra)  aiwrrr) 
Sia  TT}?  TToXeco?  TT}?  a\\OTpias  /cal  rov 

I/o.    Trotfa,  7a/o  aXX?;  ^/o^  TreVecr^at  TOU? 
lit.    OVK  olBa  /JLCL  At'  eywye'   rrjSe  fiev  yap  ov. 
t?  &e  /tat  w^.      a/oa  7'  olaOa  rov@'  on 
'  av  ^fyOelaa  Traawv  'IpiScov 
j  el  rr??  a^ta?  €Tvy%ave<>  ; 
I/o.    aXX'  aOdvards  et/*'. 
lit.  aXX'  o/i&)9 

yap  rot  Tretcro'/Aecr^  e'ftot  Sotcel 
el  T&V  fjLev  a\\o)v  ap^o/jLev^  u/aet?  S'  ot' 
a/coXao"Ta^etre?  /covSeTrco  yvwo'ecrO'  OTL 
afcpoareov  VJMV  ev  pepei  T&V  KpeLrrdvcov. 
<f>pd(TOv  Se  rot  /xot  rco  Trrepvye  TTOL  vavo-TO\els ; 

1/9.    €7^0 ;   TT/OO?  avOpcoTTOvs  TreVo/zat  Trapa  rov  Trar/oo? 
Qveiv  rot?  'OXu/iTrtot?  #eot<? 

T€  /3ov0vTOis  eir   eV^a/oat? 
T   ayvids. 

lit.  rt  crt/  Xe^et? ;   vrotbt?  #eot?  ; 

Ip.    irofouTiv,   TI^LV  rot?  eV  ovpavy  6eois. 
lit. 


Pisth.    Haven't  you  got  one? 

Iris.  Are  you  in  your  senses? 

Pistil.  Haven't  you  been 

With  a  buzzard  boss  and  had  yourself  stamp'd  properly? 

Iris.    Sir,  nobody  has  stamp'd  me,  I'd  have  you  know! 

Pistil.    So  then,  do  you  thus  go  flying,  without  a  word, 
Thro'  foreign  territory  and  this  air-space  of  ours? 

Iris.   Why,  what  other  way,  pray,  are  the  gods  to  fly? 

Pisth.    Upon  my  word  I  don't  know  —  only  not  this  way. 
You're  a  trespasser  already.     Do  you  know  what  you, 
Of  all  the  Irises,  deserve  most  richly? 
By  rights,  you'd  be  arrested  and  die  the  death. 

Iris.    But  I  am  immortal! 

Pisth.  You'd  mortify  all  the  same!  — 

This  is  just  outrageous  treatment,  it  seems  to  me, 
If  we're  to  rule  all  other  people,  but  you  gods 
Are  going  to  run  riot,  and  never  will  remember 
That  your  turn  has  come  to  hearken  to  your  betters. — 
But  let's  know,  whither  you're  steering  those  two  wings? 

Iris.   Whither?     I  fly  to  mortals,  from  my  father, 
To  bid  them  sacrifice  to  the  Olympian  gods, 
Staining  sheep -altars  with  the  blood  of  kine, 
Making  the  highways  fragrant. 

Pisth.  Ah,  to  what  gods? 

Iris.    What  gods?     Indeed,  ourselves,  the  gods  of  Heaven! 

Pistil.    So,  are  you  gods? 


27 


Ip.  rt?  yap  ear   aXXo? 

lit.    opwOes  avOpcoTTOicri  vvv  elcriv  $eot, 
ot?  Bvreov  avTOvs  ^  aXXa  /JLO,  At"  ov  TW  Att. 

Ip.    a>  /JLCope  fJL&pe  /Jirj  Oewv  Kivei 
Beivds^  OTTO)?  /AT}  aov  761/0?  7rava)\e0pov 
Ato?  fJLaice\\r)  Trav  avacrrpetyr) 
^yvvs  Se  crcoyLta  /cal  SO/JLCOV 
/caTaL0a\a)(rr)  aov  At/cu^z/t 

lit.    aicovcrov  avrrj'  irave  rwv  rjra^)\acr fjidrcov 
e^  arpefjia.      (frep*  iSco^  Trorepa  A.v8ov  rj  <&pvya 
ravrl  \eyovcra  fjLOp/jLoXvrreo'OaL  So/eels ; 
dpy  olaQ'  on  Zeu?  ei  pe  \V7rr)<ret,  nrepa, 
fji€\aOpa  fjiev  avrov  KOI  BO/JLOVS  'A[J,(f)iovos 
KaTaL0a\a)cr(i)  Trvcdoicriv  aterot? ; 

a?   €9   TOP  OVpdVOV 

eV  avTOV  Trap&aXds  eV^/LtyLteVou? 
e^aicoaiovs  rbv  apiOfJiov.      /cal  STJ  Trore 
el?  Hop(j)vpi(ov  avTp  Trapea^e  Trpajfiara. 
civ  8'  et  /A€  XfTT^cret? , 
rr)v*Ipiv  avTrfV,  wcrre 

I/o.    Biappayeirjs  &>  />teX'  aurot? 
lit.    ou/c  aTTOcro^cret?  ;   o^  ra^ea)?  ;   eupai; 
1/3.    ^  /Ltrjy  ere  TravaeL  TT)?  u/8/)e&)?  ou/io?  Trarijp. 
lit.    ot/xot  raXa?.      OVKOVV  ere/ococre 
vewrepwv  rtm; 


Iris.  Why,  what  god  is  there  else? 

Pisth.    Birds,  at  the  present  time,  are  gods  for  men; 
To  birds  they  must  sacrifice,  not — by  Zeus!  —  to  Zeus! 

Iris.    O  fool,  fool,  move  not  thou  celestial  minds 
To  wrath,  lest  with  the  mattock  of  great  Zeus 
Retributive  Justice  fell  thee,  root  and  branch ; 
Black  fires  incinerate  thy  house  and  body, 
And  their  integuments,  with  Licymnian  bolts ! 

Pisth.    Jade,  harkee!     Cease  thy  tragic  splutterings;    hold 
Thy  peace !     Is  it  a  Lydian  or  a  Phrygian  slave 
Thou  tak'st  me  for,  to  be  bluff 'd  off  with  bugbears? 
Knowest  thou,  if  Zeus  annoy  me  further,  I 
His  mansions  and  the  homestead  of  Amphion 
With  fire-compelling  eagles  will  cremate? 
I'll  send  after  him  a  flock  of  butcher-birds 
Into  the  sky,  drest  up  in  panther- skins, 
Six-hundred  in  number.     There  was  a  time  when  one 
Little  butcher  of  a  giant  kept  him  busy. — 

And  for  you,  to  begin  with,  if  you  make  any  trouble,  I'll  have 
The  hired  girl  Iris  iron'd  out  so  flat, 
She'll  wonder  where  old  Ironsides  heats  his  flatiron. 

Iris.    You  horrid  old  thing,  I  hope  your  words  may  choke  you ! 

Pisth.    Hop  off,  hop  off,  now! — quick!    Shoo,  shoo!    Scat,  scatter! 

Iris.    My  father,  I  tell  you,  will  stop  your  insolence ! 

Pisth.    O,  go  along;  won't  you  fly  elsewhere,  and  preach 
Incineration  to  some  of  the  younger  folk? 


XOPOS. 


TToAAa  Sry  KOL  Katva  Kat  Oav- 
ju,a(rr'  eTTCTrro/jteo-^a  /cat 

Setva  Trpay/xar' 
Icrrt  yap  8ev8/3ov 

CKTOTTOV  TL  KapStas  d- 


V  /xev  ovSeVj  aX- 
Se  SetAov  Kat  /xeya. 


act 

Kfrav 
TOV  8e  ^et/xwvo?  TraXtv  ra? 


Icrrt  o   av  \ii)pa.  Trpo?  avra) 


TW    0-KOT(t> 


IvOa.  rots  r/paxriv  avOpw- 

Trot  ^waptcrraio-t  Kat  £vv- 
etcrt  TrX.r)v  TYJS  e 

8'  OVKCT 


et  yap  evrv^ot  rt? 

TOJV  j3pOT(i)V  VVKTWp   ' 

yv/xvos  ^v  TrAryyeis  VTT'  avrov 
Trdvra  raTrtoe^ta. 


CHORUS. 

(strophe) 

We,  in  our  far  flighty  travels, 

Strange  and  awful  curios 
Have  alighted  on  and  noted.— 

There's  a  foreign  tree,  which  grows 

Well  beyond  Cape  Cceur  de  Lion: 

It  is  call'd  Cleonymus; 
Good  for  nothing,  yet  extremely 

Tall  and  pusillanimous. 

In  the  spring  it  buds  and  blabs  and 
Exhales  libel  thro'  the  fields; 

Then,  when  the  inclement  season 
Comes  again,  it  sheds  its  shields. 

(antistrophe) 

There's  a  far  country,  that  borders 
Close  on  Darkest  Dagoland, 

In  the  wilderness  of  lamp-posts, 

Dreary  gleams  and  bags  of  sand. 

There,  with  demi-gods  and  heroes 
Mortals  breakfast,  chat,  and  pour 

WTine  —  save  only  in  the  evening ; 
Then  the  fun  is  safe  no  more. 

For  suppose  you  met  Orestes, 
That  great  hero,  after  dark: 

His  tall  form  would  wear  your  garments, 
Your  five  ribs  would  bear  his  mark. 


E. 


Up.    OI/JLOI  ra\a??  o  Zeu?  OTTOJ?  pr)  /A'  o- 
TTOI)  Tlio-Beraipds  eVr' ; 

lit.  ea  rovrl  TI  rjv ; 

Tt9  6  cru 7/caXf  /x/>to9 ; 

11^3.  rwy  Oecov  o/oa?  rtz^a 

eyLtof)  fcaroTTtv  evravOa ; 

lit.  fta  At'  670)  /Ltez^  01). 

Tt?  3'  el  o-u; 

Tip.  TrrjviK   early  dpa  TT)? 

lit.    OTnjvi/ca ;    a/ju/cpdv  rt  fiera 
a\\a  av  rt?  et; 

II/3.  /SouXfTO?   ?}   7T6paLT€p(0' 

lit.    ot/Lt*  ft)?  ^SeXvTTOfjLal  ae. 

Up.  rt  70,^0  o  Zeu?  Trotet ; 

id^et  ra?  vefyeXas  r)  ^vvvefai ; 
lit.    otft&)fe  (jL€<yd\\ 
Up.  ovTQ) 

lit.    w  (^t 
Up. 


82 


SCENE  V. 

Enter  PISTHETAERUS  and  PROMETHEUS,  the  latter  hiding  his  head 
under  an  umbrella. 

Prom.    Great  heavens,  Zeus  must  not  see  me,  for  my  life! 
Where's  Chiekwin? 

Pisth.  Hi,  what  have  we  here?     What's  this 

Umbrella  business? 

Prom.  Do  you  see  any  one  of  the  gods 

Up  here  behind  me? 

Pisth.  By  the  powers,  I  don't! 

Who  are  you,  anyway? 

Prom.  What's  the  time  o'  day? 

Pisth.    What's  the  time?     A  trifle  past  noon.     But  who  the  deuce 
Are  you? 

Prom.     Lunch  time,  or  a  little  later? 

Pisth.  My  stars, 

You  make  me  sick! 

Prom.  What  weather  is  Zeus  making? 

Is  the  sky  clearing  off,  or  clouding  up  again  ? 

Pisth.    Go  and  be  hang'd! 

Prom.  In  that  case  I'll  uncover. 

[Showing  his  face. 
Pisth.    My  dear  Prometheus ! 

Prom.  Stop,  stop,  don't  call  out! 


Hi.    TL  jap  eWt ; 

Tip.  cr</ya?  fjurj  /caXet  /JLOV  rovvo/Jia- 

CLTTO  yap  p  oXet5,  el  JJL   evBdft  6  Zeu?  o-^rerac. 
aXX'  riva  (f)pda-co  «rot  Trdvra  TCLVQ) 
rovrl  \a/3a)v  /JLOV  TO  aiad^ 
dvwOev,  a)?  av  fjnj  //'  op&div  oi  Oeoi. 

lit.    lov  lov' 

ev  7'  eTrevdrjcras  avro  KOI  Trpo/jLijOi/ctoS. 
viroBvOi  ra%v  $rj  Kara  0appr)(ras  Xeye. 

Tip.    d/cove  ST;  vvv. 

lit.  <w?  CLKOVOVTOS  Xeye. 

II/>.      d7rd\CO\eV  0  Zi€V<$. 

Tit.  Trrfviic   arr' 

IT/3,    ef  ovTrep  v/Jiels  wtciaaje  rov  depa. 
6vei  yap  ot'Set?  ovSev  dvOpayjrcov  en 
Oeolcnv^  ovSe  icvlaa  pripitov  airo 
dvfj\6ev  a)?  77/10.5  air   e/cewov  rov 
aXX'  coo-jrepel  Seo-fJLO(j)opiOLS 
dvev  OvrjK&v   oi  Be  ftdp/3apoi  Oeol 

wcnrep  'T\\vpiol  tce/cpiydres 

fydd  dvwOev  TO)  A^t, 
el  pr)  Trape^et  rdfjiTrdpi   dvewy ^eva , 
iv  elo-dyoiro  aTr\dy)(ya  fcararer^fjieva. 

lit.    ela\v  yap  erepoi  ftdpftapoi  deoi 
dvwOev  vfJLWV. 

Tip.  ov  ydp  elcn 


Pisth.  Why,  what's  the  matter? 

Prom.  Hold  still,  don't  call  my  name! 

You'll  be  the  death  of  me,  if  Zeus  sees  me  here. 
I'll  tell  you  the  whole  state  of  affairs  up  there, 
If  you'll  just  take  this  parasol  and  hold  it  over  us, 
That  the  gods  mayn't  see  me. 

Pisth.  Dear  me,  but  that  is 

An  admirable  Promethean  idea! 
Get  under,  quick  now;  take  courage,  and  say  on. 

Prom.    Now  listen! 

Pisth.  Listen  it  is;  out  with  it,  old  man! 

Prom.    It  is  all  over  with  Zeus! 

Pisth.  All  over — about  what  time? 

Prom.    Ever  since  you  settled  the  city  in  the  air. 
No  mortal  more  to  the  gods  does  sacrifice ; 
No  more  does  savory  steam  of  burning  meats 
Ascend  to  us,  since  that  unhappy  day. 
But,  as  it  were  thro'  some  long  Lenten  tide, 
We  fast  and  famish;  while  the  barbarian  gods 
Do  squeak  and  gibber  in  their  hunger,  and  swear 
They  will  cross  over  from  beyond  and  invade 
The  lands  of  Zeus,  unless  we  throw  ports  open 
And  start  free-trade  in  sacrificial  tid-bits. 

Pisth.  What,  are  there  barbarian  gods,  another  lot, 
Over  beyond  you? 

Prom.  Why,  of  course  there  must  be 


35 


odev  o  Trarpwds  ecrriv  ' 

Hi.    ovofAa  Se  rouroi?  rot?  #eot?  rot?  ffapfidpois 
T{  eanv ; 

Up.       o  n  eornv\  Tpi/3a\\oi. 

Hi. 
evrevOev  apa  rovmrpi^ei^  eyevero ; 

Tip.    /jLa\,L(7Ta  TrdvTcov.      ev  Se  croi  \eya) 
r}%ovcri  Trpeo-fBeis  Bevpo  jrepl  SiaX^ajayv 
Trapa  rov  Ato?  fcal  rwv  Tpt{3a\\cov  rwv  avw 
v/jieis  Be  /Jirj  (nrev$ea6\  eav  /JLTJ 
TO  a/crjTrrpov  6  Zeu?  Tolcnv  Spvtffiv 
/cal  rrjv  T$a<ri\€iav  crol 

Tli.    T6?  ecrriv  rj 

Tip. 

rJTrep  rafjiievei  rbv  icepavvov  rov  Aio? 
/cal  ra\\'  aTra^ajravra ^  TTJV  ev(Bov\iav 
TJ]V  evvo/jiiav  rr^v  o-axppoawrjv  ra  vecopia 
rrjv  \oiSopiav  TOV  K(0\a/cpeTr)v  ra  Tpi(b/3o\a. 

TTi.    aTravra  y  ap'  avra)  ra/jiievei ; 

Tip.  ^^  ej(o. 

j]V  7'  T)V  av  Trap'  e/ceivov  TrapaXdftrjs  ^  jrdvr* 
TOVTCOV  eveica  Sevp'  rj\dov^  iva  ^pdaaifjii  aoi. 
aei  TTOT'  avOpaiTrois  yap  evvovs  eifjf  eya>. 

Tli.    fjidvov  6e(*)v  yap  8ia 

Tip.    ijucrct)  8'  aTrazmi?  row  Oeovs,  &>?  olaOa  av. 

Tli.    vrj  rov  At'  ael  Brjra  Oeo/jLiarjs  e^>w. 


Outlandish  deities,  to  furnish  forth 
The  pedigree  of  Execestides. 

Pisth.    And  what's  the  name  of  these  barbarian  gods? 

Prom.  What  is  their  name?     Triballians. 

Pisth.  Ah,  I  see: 

The  source  from  whence  ali  tribulations  flow. 

Prom.    To  be  sure.     And  on  one  thing  you  may  count  for  certain 
Ambassadors  will  arrive  here,  touching  a  treaty, 
From  Zeus  and  from  the  Triballians  over  beyond. 
But  don't  you  grant  a  truce,  save  on  condition 
That  Zeus  restore  the  sceptre  to  the  birds 
And  give  you  Princess  Easily  to  wife. 

Pisth.  Who  is  Easily? 

Prom.  A  beautiful  fair  maid, 

Who  holds  the  key  to  the  cupboard  where  Zeus  stores 
His  thunderbolt  and  all  his  bric-a-brac; 
His  wisdom,  law  and  order,  virtuous 
Intentions,  ship-supplies,  vituperation, 
Paymasters'  cheques,  and  cash  to  bribe  the  jury. 

Pisth.    She  holds  the  key  to  everything,  then? 

Prom.  Just  so! 

Get  her  from  him,  you've  got  the  whole.     I  came 
Expressly  to  advise  you  of  this  matter:  — 
As  ever,  a  benefactor  of  mankind. 

Pisth.    For  broiling  fish  our  sole  divinity! 

Prom.    And,  as  you  know,  a  hater  of  all  the  gods! 

Pisth.    God  knows  no  love  was  ever  lost  between  you! 


37 


Up.    TYfUW  tcaOapos.      aXX'  a>?  av 
(f)€pe  TO  (TKidSeioVj  iva  pe  tcav  6  Zet>?  ^77 

atco\ov6elv  SOKM  KavTjffrdpqy. 
Hi.    ical  TOV  Stypov  ye  Bt,(f>po(f)6p6i,  rovSl  \ajStov 


XOPOS. 


7T/30?   §€   TO19    ^KtaTTOCTtV  \L- 

fivrf  rts  £(TT  ,  aAovros  ov 


KCU  ITeto-avSpos  ^ 

s  ^^X^v 
'  e/cetvov 


Ka/JLrjXov  d- 
/uvov  rtv',  ^s  Aai/xovs  re/xwv 


wcnrtp  ovovcrcrevs  ctTT^ 

Kar'  dv^X^'  avro)  /ca 

TT/OO?  TO  Aatr/xa  T^?  Ka/x  77X01) 


Prom.    A  Timon  pure,  that's  me! — Now,  to  run  back! 
Hand  me  the  sunshade;   then  even  if  Zeus  in  the  sky 
Does  spy  me,  he'll  think  I'm  waiting  on  a  lady. 

Pisth.  Very  well;  and  take  this  chair  for  the  lady,  too. 


CHORUS. 

(strophe) 

By  a  lake,  where  the  infernal 
Shadefoot  generations  dwell, 

Socrates,  the  unwash'd  fakir, 
Conjures  spirits  out  of  Hell. 

There  the  blatherskite  Peisander 

Came,  with  camel  lamb,  to  search 

For  the  chicken-hearted  spirit 

That  had  left  him  in  the  lurch. 

While,  Odysseus -like,  he  waited 

By  the  blood  his  knife  had  drawn, 

Up  to  sip  the  camel -carnage 

Popp'd  the  black  bat,  Chaerephon. 


z. 


Ilo.  TO  pev  TroKiG  pa  TT) 
opav  roBl  TrdpecmVj  ol  Trpeo- 
OVTO?  rt  fy>«?  ;  CTT'  apicnep  OUTOJ?  a/u,7re^et  ; 


rt  (S  /ca/cdSaifjiov  ;   Aat<77roSia?  et  r 

Trot  7roo8t8a?  7  xa?  7TOT€ 


7 

€t  TOVTOVL  y'  e^eipOTOvrio-av  ol  Qeoi; 
efet?  arpe/jias  ;   offU0{6*   TroXv  7^/3  Srj  <r'  670) 
edpa/ca  Trdvrcov  /3ap/3apa)Tarov  6eci)v. 
aye  Srj  TL  Spw/jiev  'H^oa/cXet?  ; 

H/3.  a/crficoas 

e/ioO  7'^  ort  TOZ^  avOpcoTrov  ay%eiv  /3ouXo/^at, 

TTOT'  ecr^'  6  TOW  #eou?  aTTOTet^tVa?. 
Ho.    aXX'  a><yd&  ypij/jiecrBa  irepl  8ia\\ay(t)v 


H/o.         St7r\ao-{a)s  fjLa\\ov  dy^eiv  /JLOL  8o/cei. 

lit.      T^  TVpO/CVrjCTTlV  Tt?    SoTO)'     0e/?€  (TL\(f)lOV 

rvpbv  fyepera)  Tt?'   TrvpjrdXet  TOU?  avOpaicas. 
Ho.    TW  dvSpa  xaipeiv  ol  Oeol  /ce\evofjiev 


40 


SCENE  VI. 

Enter  PISTHETAERUS  and  a  Servant,  POSEIDON,  HERACLES, 
TRIBALLUS. 

Pas.    [To  HERACLES.]    Lo,  here  we  have  in  view  the  capitol 
Of  Cloudcuckootown,  whither  our  mission  leads  us. — 
[To  TRIBALLUS.]    Here  you,  what's  this?     Do  you  wear  your  cloak  one- 
sided? 

Can  you  not  shift  it  — that  way  — to  the  right? 
You  wretch,  are  you  a  natural-born  Laespodias?— 
To  what  a  pass,  Democracy,  wilt  thou  bring  us, 
If  the  gods  could  choose  this  dolt  for  their  ambassador? — 
Will  you  hold  still?  —  plague  take  you!     Well  you  do 
Beat  all  the  barbaric  gods  I  ever  saw!  — 
Now,  Heracles,  what  are  we  to  do? 

Her.  You  have  heard 

My  say:  this  man,  whoever  he  be,  whose  wall 
Shuts  out  the  gods,  I  vote  to  wring  his  neck. 

Pos.    But,  my  dear  sir,  our  mission  in  the  matter 
Contemplates  peace. 

Her.  Then  twist  his  neck  twice  over! 

Pisih.    [To  the  Servant.]    The  cheese  -grater,  where  is  it?     Bring  me 

some  curry! 
Let  me  have  cheese  here!     Make  the  coals  burn  lively! 

Pos.    Our  compliments  and  credentials  we  present, 
Three  gods  to  the  mortal  man. 


41 


Til.  ttXX'   eTTLKvS)   TO  (7L\(f>iOV. 

H/9.    ra  8e  /cpea  rov  raOr'  eariv', 
Ht.  opviOes  rives 

rot?  Srj/JLOTi/colo-iv  bpveoi? 


Hp.  elra  Sfjra  aiX 

jrpdrepov  avrolcnv; 

lit.  & 

TI  eorri  ; 

Ho.       Trpeo-ffevovres  ridels 
Trapa  rwv  Oe&v  Trepl  iro\efJLOV 

lit.    e\aiov  ov/c  evecmv  ev  rrj  \rjfcvOa). 

HjO.    KOI  fjirjv  rd  7'  bpviBeia  \Lirdp   elvai 

IIo.    ?7/Lt€i?  re  7<z/o  TToXeynotWe?  ou 
r  av  TJ/JLLV  roZ?  ^eot?  6Vre?  </uXot 
ov  vScop  av  el^er'  eV  rot?  TeKpaviv  , 
a\Kvovi8as  T   av  tfyetf  rjfiepas  aeL 
rovrcov  Trepl  iravrcov  avro/cpdropes  TJ/CO/JLCV 

lit.    aXX'  ovre  Trporepov  TTCOTTO^'  rj/JLels  Tj 
TroXeftou  TT^O?  vfjids  ^  vvv  T  eOeXofjiev^  el 
edv  n  Sitcaiov  aXXa  vvv  eOe\rjr€  Spdv^ 
o-7rov8ds  TroielaOai.      rd  Se  St/cai  earlv 
TO  o-/crJ7TTpov  rjfjilv  TOLcriv  opvicriv  7rd\iv 
rbv  At'  dTroSovvcu'  /cdv  StaXXarrcofte^a 
eTri  roio-Se,  TOU?  irpecrfBeiS  eir   dpiarov 


42 


Pisth.  Stir  in  the  curry. 

Her.    Whose  flesh,  pray,  have  you  there? 

Pisth.  A  lark  or  two, 

Found  guilty  of  conspiring  to  subvert 
The  bird  majority. 

Her.  Then  do  you  begin 

With  them  by  stirring  in  curry ? 

Pisth.    [Looking up.]  Ah,  Heracles! 

What's  the  good  word? — 

Pos.  We  are  ambassadors 

Sent  by  the  gods  to  treat  of  bringing  the  war 
To  a  conclusion. — 

Pisth.    [To  the  Servant.]    There's  no  oil  in  the  cruet!  — 

Her.    Upon  my  word  the  bird-meat  seems  right  fat! — 

Pos.    For  we  gain  nothing  by  prolonging  it; 
And  you,  by  coming  to  terms  with  us  the  gods, 
Would  have  rain-water  cisterns  always  full 
And  while  away  no  end  of  halcyon  days. 
We  are  empowered  to  settle  all  these  points. 

Pisth.    As  we,  before,  were  nowise  the  aggressors 
In  the  war  with  you,  so  now,  if  it  seem  best, 
We  will  make  truce,  provided  you  can  consent 
Even  at  the  eleventh  hour  to  do  what's  right:  — 
That  Zeus  restore  the  sceptre  to  the  birds. 
If  on  these  terms  we  come  to  an  understanding, 
Then  I  invite  the  ambassadors  to  breakfast. 


H/o.    ejjiol  fJLev  ajro^prj  raOra  /cal 

IIo.    rt  &  /cafcoBaifjLOv ;   ?}Xi#to9  /cal  ydarpLS  el. 

ls  rbv  irarepa  7-779  TVpavvi&os ; 
lit.    a\rj@es ;   ov  yap  /JLel&v  v/jiels  ol  deol 

'j  ^^  opvUtes  ap%wo-iv  /ca 
vvv  n&v  7'  VTTO  rat?  ve$e\aicriv  e 
Kv^avres  einopKovo-iv  u/Lta?  ot  fBporoi' 
eav  &e  rou?  opi/£9  €%r)T€  avfjitid'xpvs, 
orav  Ofivvr)  rt?  TOI^  /copa/ca  ical  TOV  Ata, 
o  icopat;  7rape\0a)v  TOVTnopKovvros  \ddpa 
TTpoo-TTTOfjLevos  eKKo^eu  TOV  b$6a\iM)v 

Ho.    ^  rov  Hocrei&a)  ravrd  ye  rot  /caXai? 
H/3.    Kcifjiol  So/eel. 

lit.  TI  Sat  crv  ^779  ; 

T/9.  vafiaio-arpev. 

lit.    0/009  ;   eTraivel  ^01*709.      erepov  vvv  ert 
a/covcraO'  ocrov  v^as  ayaObv 
edv  Tt9  dv6pa)7rci)v  lepelov  ra> 
ev^d/Jievos  elra 

fjieverol  OeolJ  /cat  fta 
avaTrpd^ofiev  fcal  raOra. 
IIo. 

Ht.    oray  Siapid fji&v  apyvpiSiov  Tv 
OUT09,  ^  KaOijrai  Xou/Lte^o9, 
IKTLVOS  apirdaa^  \d0pa 
Svolv  n^v  avoiaei  rw 


44 


Her.    I  find  the  terms  satisfactory,  and  I  vote  — 

Pos.   What,  miscreant!     You  senseless  belly-god, 
Will  you  throw  away  the  kingdom  of  your  father? — 

Pistil.    Really!     Will  you  gods  not  be  stronger  than  ever 
Up  there,  if  the  birds  come  into  power  below? 
As  it  is  now,  hiding  under  the  clouds,  men  stoop 
And  in  your  holy  names  forswear  themselves. 
But,  if  you  hold  the  birds  in  your  alliance, 
When  a  man  swears  by  Jove  and  by  Jim  Crow, 
The  crow,  flying  up  to  the  perjurer  unawares, 
Will  claw  his  eye  out  at  a  single  clip ! 

Pos.    Now,  by  Poseidon,  there's  some  sense  in  that! 

Her.    So  I  say. 

Pistil.    [To  TEIBALLUS.]    And  you? 

Trib.  Gobakkyolladree. 

Pisth.    He,  too,  approves,  you  see.— Now  one  thing  more 
Which,  to  your  great  advantage,  we  shall  do. 
Suppose  some  mortal  makes  vow  of  a  victim 
Unto  some  god,  then  says,  prevaricating, 
"The  gods  can  wait,"  and  fails,  the  greedy-gut, 
To  pay, —  we  will  collect  your  dues. 

Pos.  How  so? 

Pisth.    Sometime,  when,  as  it  happens,  this  gentleman 
Is  counting  his  money  or  seated  in  the  bathtub, 
A  kite,  flying  in  unnoticed,  will  grab  up 
The  value  of  two  victims  for  the  god ! 


4f> 


Up.    TO    o-/cf)7TTpov  a7ro8ovvai 
TOVTOLS  eya). 

TIo.  Kal  TOV  Tpi/3a\\dv  vvv  epov. 

Up.    6  T/9t/3aXXo?  ,  ol/JL(b£eiv  So/cet  crot; 
T/3.  aavvd/ca 


H/3.  $j)cri  IJL  ev  \e<yeiv  irdw. 

IIo.    ei  TOL  Bo/cel  a(f>(j)v  ravra^  ica/jiol  a 
7  8o/cel  Spav  ravra  TOV  a/CTJTTTpov  Trepi. 

lit.    Kal  vrj  At'  eTepdv  7'  eVrtv  ov  '  /Jivija-Orjv  e<ya). 
Trjv  /jiev  yap  "tlpav  7ra^>aSt8<»/Ltt  TW  Att? 
Trjv  Be  Bao-iXetaz^  ryv  /cdprjv  yvvai/c*  e/Aol 
ItcSoTeov  eaTiV. 

Ho.  ov  $ia\\a<y(ov  epqx. 

oi/cao'  av0is. 

lit.  o\fyov  pot,  /u-eXet. 

TO  /caTd^vcr/jia  %pr)  Troielv  <y\v/cv. 

H^o.    a)  Sai/jidvi   av0pa)7rc0v  Tldcr€L$ov  TTOI 
?7/-iet9  Trepi  ryvvaiicbs  fJLids 

Ho.    rt  Sal  Troiw/jiev  ; 

H/o.  o  rt; 

Ho.    rt  8'  wfu^'  ;   ou/c  otcr#'  efaTrarco/xe^o?  TraXat  ; 
y8Xa7TT6t9  Se  rot  cry  aavTov.      r)v  yap 
o  Zeu?  TrapaSovs  TOVTOLCTL  Trjv 
Trevj]^  ecret  cru.      croO  7^/0  airavTa 
ra  xprjiJLaO^  6V  az^  6  ZeiW  aTroOvrjcncwv  KaTa\L7rrj. 


Her.    Once  more  I  vote  to  give  the  sceptre  back 
To  the  birds. 

Pos.  Ask  the  Triballian  now. 

Her.  Look  here, 

Triballus,  would  you  like  a  licking? 

Trib.  Ligga 

Stikkajakky. 

Her.  He  says  I  speak  to  the  point. 

Pos.    If  you  two  are  agreed,  I  acquiesce.— 
[To  PISTHETAERUS.]    My  man,  we  do  concede  the  sovereignty. 

Pisth.    Ah,  sure  —  there's  another  thing  I  had  in  mind. 
Hera,  the  queen  —  I  leave  her  in  Zeus'  keeping, 
But  the  Princess  Easily  must  be  given  to  me 
In  marriage. 

Pos.  You  don't  desire  a  truce.     Let  us 

Go  home  again. 

Pisth.  That  concerns  me  little. —  Hey,  cook 

Make  sure  and  have  a  prime  flavor  to  that  sauce ! 

Her.    Poseidon,  my  dear  fellow,  what  does  this  mean? 
Shall  we  have  war  about  one  woman? 

Pos.  What,  then, 

Are  we  to  do? 

Her.  What  do?     Makepeace! 

Pos.  Poor  devil, 

Don't  you  see  you're  getting  cheated  all  this  time? 
You're  ruining  yourself.     In  case  Zeus  dies 
After  handing  over  the  sceptre  to  the  birds, 
You  will  be  a  pauper!     You  are  the  heir,  of  course, 
To  all  the  property  Zeus  leaves  at  his  death. 


47 


lit.     oi/jLoi  raXa?  olov  ere 
Sevp'  a)9  efi   ajro^ajpTjo-ov  ^  'iva  rt  CTOL  (f>pdo-co. 
Sia/3d\XeTai  a   #eto9  o>  TrdvTjpe  av. 
TWV  yap  TrarpqKov  ovS'  d/caprj  /jierecrrl  aoL 
Kara  TOU?  ^O/AOU?*   v66o<$  yap  el  KOV  <yvr)<rios. 

H/o.    eya)  v66o<$  ;   rt  Xeyet?  ; 

lit.  ai)  fjievroi  VT]  Ata 

&v  ye  %ewr)<$  yvvai/cds.  rj  TTW?  av  TTOTC 
e7riK\rjpov  eivai  rrjv  '  A.6r)vaiav  So/eels  ^ 
ovaav  Ovyarep^  ovrcov  aSeXcfrwv  yvrjo-ioav, 

Up.    rl  8'  r)V  o  Trarrjp  e/Jiol  SiSa)  ra 
voOel9  aTToBvrfcricwv^ 

lit.  o  vdfjios  avTov  ov  K.  ea. 

OUTO?    6   T].OCr€iS(t)V  7r/3(WT09?    O9   CTTaipei  (7€  VVV  ? 

avOe^erai  <rov  TO>V  TraTpwayv  %pr]  /JLCITCOV 
<f>do-rca)v  aSeA,<£e>9  avrbs  elvai 
epa)  Se  Srj  KOI  TOV  2oXa)^o9  croi 

8e  fir)  eti/at  dy^tcrreiav  Trat'Swv  ovro>v 
eav  8e  TraiSes  [M]   OKTI   yv^crtot,  roi? 
yevov?  /zeretvai  TWI/  -^YJ/J-OLTIDV.  ' 
Up.    epol  8'  a/a'  o«)8e^  TCOZ^  TrarpqxDV  %pr]  /JLCITCOV 


lit.  ou  fJievTOi  /JLCL  Ata.      \e%ov 

a   o  Trarrjp  elcrrpyay'  69  T0i)9  ( 

Hp.    ou  S^r'  e'/te  76.      /cal  8rjr   eOav^a^ov  Trd\ai. 

lit.    rt  ST^T'  ai^co  Kerfva^  aliceiav  /3\e7ro)v  ; 


48 


Pisth.    [To  HERACLES.]    Merciful  Heaven,  how  he  is  coming  it  over 

you!  — 

Step  aside  to  me  here,  until  I  tell  you  something. 
Your  uncle  is  putting  a  trick  on  you,  you  lout ! 
Of  your  father's  property  not  a  blessed  cent 
Is  yours  by  law;  you're  illegitimate. 

Her.    I  illegitimate !     What? 

Pisth.  Yes,  by  great  Zeus! 

You  had  a  foreign  mother.     Athena  is  heiress, 
As  everybody  knows;  and  how  could  that  be, 
If  she,  being  daughter,  had  legitimate  brothers? 

Her.    But  what  if  my  father  bequeath  to  me  his  estate 
As  bastard -legacy? 

Pisth.  The  law  forbids  him! 

The  very  first  counter-claim  of  all  would  come 
From  Poseidon  here,  who  is  hounding  you  on  now, 
Averring  that  he's  the  testator's  lawful  brother. 
I  will  quote  you  the  law  of  Solon  on  this  point. 

"  Sec.  1903.  Moreover  it  is  herein  provided  that  to  a  son  illegitimate 
there  shall  belong  no  right  of  inheritance  if  there  be  sons  legitimate;  if 
there  be  no  sons  legitimate  the  nearest  of  kith  and  kin  shall  share  the 
estate." 

Her.    Then  does  there  fall  to  me  no  share  at  all 
Of  the  patrimony? 

Pisth.  None  at  all!     Look  here, 

Did  your  father  have  you  registered  and  christen'd? 

Her.    Hell,  no!     I  always  wondered  what  he  meant  by  it! 

Pisth.    Then  what  are  you  glaring  at,  you  bag-punching  bully? 


aXX'  TJV  /JieO'  TJ/JLCOV  77?,  /cara(TTr)cras  a 
Tvpavvov  opVL0cov  Trape^o)  crot  <yd\a. 

H/o.    Sbcai   e/JLOLje  teal  TraXat  So/cet? 
Trepl  rrj?  #0/977?,  fcdycoye  7rapaSi8a)fjLL  VOL. 

lit.    rt  Sal  av  (£779  ; 

Ho.  ravavria 

lit.    ev  TO)  Tpi/3a\\a)  Trav  TO  Trpdy/jia.      TI  av  Xeyet?  ; 

Tp.    /ca\dm  Kopavva  teal  /Jiejd\a 
opvtTO  TrapaSiSoj/jii. 

Hp.  Trapa&ovvai 

II  o.    fjua  TOV  At'  ov%  OUTO?  76  TrapaSovvai 
el  i*rj  (Baftd^ei  7'  coo-jrep  at  ^eXt8oW?. 

lit.    OVKOVV  TrapaSovvai  rat?  ^eXt^ocrty  Xe/ryet. 

IIo.    o-(a>  ^i)^  Sia\\dTT€(T0e  /cal 


Up.    rj/Jilv  a  Xeyet?  <7t>  travra  o-v^^wpeiv  So/eel. 
aXX'  t'$t  /xe^'  rj/jiwv  at'ro?  e?  TW  ovpavdv 
LVGL  TTJV  Bacrt  Xetai/  «;at  ra  TTCLVT   e/cel  Xa/3?;?. 

lit.    e?  icatpov  apa  KarefcoTrrjaav  OVTOU 
e?  rou?  rydfjiovs. 

H^>.  /3ov\ecr0e  Sr/T  eyco  reW 

O7TT&)  ra  /c^oeia  rai^rt  fievwv  ;   u/xet?  8'  tre. 

IIo.    OTrra?  ra  /c/oea  ;  vroXX^  76  T€v6eiav  \eyeis. 
ov/c  el  fJieO'  rjfjLWv  ; 

HjO.  eu  76  /Jievrdv  SiereOrjv. 

lit.    aXXa  ryafjLitcrjV  ^Xai/tSa  8oVce)  rt?  8ei)/oo  /iot. 


But  —  side  with  us,  I'll  get  you  an  appointment 

As  policeman,  and  give  you  pigeon's  milk  in  plenty. 

Her.    [Aloud.]    For  my  part,  your  demand  again  seems  fair, 
About  the  princess,  and  I'm  ready  to  grant  it. 

Pisth.    [To  POSEIDON. J    Well,  what  do  you  say? 

Pos.  I  give  my  vote  against  it. 

Pisth.    All  turns  upon  Triballus.     What  say  you,  now? 

Trib .    Boof  adamsambiggabasalinny 
Andovabiddibus. 

Pisth.  He  says,  Hand  her  over. 

Pos.    Not  he!  he  doesn't  say,  Hand  over,  unless 
It's  the  language  of  the  Twitterers  that  he's  talking. 

Pisth.    He  means,  then,  Hand  her  over  to  the  twitterers. 

Pos.    [To  HERACLES  and  TRIBALLUS.]    You  two  may  make   your  treaty 

and  your  truce ; 
And  I,  since  'tis  your  pleasure,  will  keep  silent. 

Her.    [To  PISTHETAERUS.]    To  all  your  propositions  we  are  agreed. 
But  go  with  us  now,  in  person,  up  to  Heaven, 
To  take  your  winnings  and  your  bride  Basily. 

Pisth.    'T  was  a  timely  guillotining  of  these  birds, 
For  the  marriage  feast. 

Her.  Suppose  I  stay  behind 

And  see  to  the  broiling,  while  you  go  ahead? 

Pos.    To  the  broiling?     It's  the  bolting,  glutton,  you'd  see  to! 
Come  along  with  us. 

Her.  And  a  precious  plight  to  come  to! 

Pisth.    Ho,  there!  let  some  one  bring  me  a  wedding- garment! 


XOPOS. 


efcm  o    ev  ^aratcri  7rpo<s  Trj 
TTavovpyov  ey- 

yevos, 
ot     eiova-iv  re  KCU          ' 


pova-L  /cat  rpvyaj(76  rats  y 
ratcrt  o"VKa.£ovcri  re* 
fidpflapOL  8'  eto-iv  yevo?, 

Fopyuu  re  Kat  ^t'AtTTTrot. 

KOLTTO  Ttov  cyyAwrroyao'TO- 
rail/  $iAt7T7ra)v 
^s  'ArrtK^?  17 
yAcoTTa 


CHORUS. 

(antistrophe) 

In  the  Blackmail  region,  not  far 

From  the  Fount  of  Windy  Lungs, 

Flourishes  a  pettifogging 

Beastly  tribe  of  Bellytongues. 

While  their  clapperjack  is  clucking 
They  are  raking  in  the  dough, 

Philip -pups  and  Gorgi- asses, 
Offspring  of  Barbarigo. 

At  all  Attic  sacrifices, 

Where  the  bones  are  strewn  about, 
You  can  pick  up  belly-blabbers 

Lying  with  their  tongues  cut  out. 


H. 


AITEAO2. 

ayaOa  Trpdrrovres^  &  /jLei^co  \d<yov ? 
TT^VOV  bpvidwv  76^09  ? 
TOV  Tvpavvov  6\/3£ 
yap  olo?  oure 
IBelv  eXa/Lti^e  %pv(rawyel 
ou^'  r)\LOV  Tr)\avye<;  atcrivajv 
TOLOVTOV  e^e\afji^rev^  olov  ep^erai 
yvvai/cbs  /taXXo?  ou  (fr 

tcepavvov,  Trrepocfrdpov  Aio? 
avcovd/jiao-TOS  e?  /3a^o?  KVIC\OV 
?  icaKov  BeafjLa-   Ov/jLia/jLarcov  8' 
avpat  bia'^raipova'i  7T\€fcrdvrjv  Kcnrvov. 
6SI  &e  /cavrds  ecrnv.      a\\a  %pr)  6ea$ 
Moucr?;?  avofyeiv  iepov  ev^jjiov  crro/ta. 


r,4 


SCENE  VII. 

Enter  a  Messenger. 

Mess.    O  ye  all -fortunate,  more  than  tongue  can  tell! 
O  feather'd  tribes,  thrice -blessed,  welcome  now 
Your  lord  and  master  to  his  happy  home. 
How  doth  he  come,  more  radiant  than  the  beam 
Of  some  effulgent  star  in  house  of  gold! 
Not  the  ray'd  brilliance  of  the  far-flashing  sun 
Hath  shone  like  him,  who  draws  nigh  with  his  bride 
Of  beauty  ineffable,  whilst  in  his  hand  he  wields 
Zeus'  weapon,  the  wing-tufted  thunderbolt. 
Unspeakable  fragrance  into  the  welkin's  depth 
Rises,  a  wondrous  sight;  and  incense-coils 
Float  idly  on  the  weird  smoke-flapping  breezes. — 
But  lo,  behold  himself!     'Tis  time  to  ope 
The  Muse's  holy  all -propitious  mouth. 


55 


XOPOS. 
oVaye  St'e^e  Trapaye  Trapeze. 


rov  fJ,a.Kapa  fJLa.KO.pi  avv 


KOPT4>AI02. 


a>  /JLaKo.piO'Tov  crv  ydfAOV  rrjSt  TroAet 
/aeyaXai  ^teyaXat  Kare^ovcrt  TV^OLL 
yevo?  opviOdiv  ota  rovoe  rov  avopa. 


dA-A.'  ti 
/cat 

avrov  KOL  rrjv 


56 


Enter  PISTHETAERUS,  EASILY,  and  train. 
CHORUS. 

Fall  in,  fall  out;  fly  right-about; 

Waft  wide  the  airy  portal: 
With  whirring  wings  and  feathery  flings 

Surround  the  happy  mortal! 

O!  O!  O!  what  a  beauteous  bride 
Is  that  disporting  by  his  side ! 

LEADER  OF  CHORUS. 

All-hail,  O  thou  who  blest 
This  city  of  a  nest 

With  a  divine  alliance!  — 
Immense,  immense  the  luck 
The  feather'd  tribes  have  struck, 

Soaring  by  his  science ! 

Greet  now  with  hymeneal  shout, 
Chorals  of  the  wedding- rout, 
Him  and  his  Easily. 


57 


XOPOS. 

(0-T/90077) 

"Hpo.  TTOT'  ' 


Oeols  iu 
Motpat 
ev  TOtaJ 
'Y/x^v  oj  'Y/Aevat'  a>. 


rjvOvve 

Zryvo? 

r^s  T' 

'Y/x^v  a)  'Y/xeVat'  w. 


ya/xo>v 
^s  T'  €v8at/xovo? 


58 


CHORUS. 

(strophe) 

Once  upon  a  time  the  Fates 

Queenly  Hera  thus  did  bring 

To  the  most  august  of  mates, 

The  high-thron'd  Olympian  king; 

Sounding  their  praise  even  so, 

Hymen  Hymenaeus  O! 

(antistrophe) 

Gold-wing'd  Eros  was  best  man, 

Tight  the  cherub  drew  the  reins, 

Guiding  an  immortal  span 
Over  the  celestial  plains ; 

Happy  Hera  long  ago ! 

Hymen  Hymenaeus  O ! 


niSGETAIPOS. 


^cprjv  v/u,vots, 
ayapxt  8e  Aoyeov.       aye  vvv  avrov 
/cat  TO,?  Aortas  K\.rj(raT€ 
Ta9  re  TrvpwSet?  Atos 

Setvov  T'  apyrjra  Kf.pa.vvov. 

XOPOS. 


a>  Atos  a/ji(3poTov 


a> 


a/xa 

at?  o8e  vw  x^ova  tret'ei, 
8ta  8e  ra  Travra  Kpar^o-as 
/cat  TrdptSpov  BacrtAetav  t^et  Atos. 
Y/x^v  a)   Y/xevat    a>. 


PlSTHETAERUS. 

With  your  songs,  with  your  hymns, 
I'm  delighted,  I'm  sure: 
Many  thanks  for  your  words !  — 

Sing,  now,  straight  on  and  glorify 

Our  red  lightnings  of  the  sky; 

Our  dread  thunder-peals,  that  break 

Till  the  black  Earth  seems  to  quake. 

CHORUS. 

How  gorgeous  the  gleam  of  the  gold-twisted  flashes ! 

How  awful  the  flame  of  the  fierce  thunderbolt, 
With  its  cracks  and  its  crashes, 

By  Zeus  brandish'd  of  old! 

O,  ye  rumbling  thunders  grand, 

Cloudbursts  of  the  mountain-brow, 

This  great  conqueror  puts  his  hand 
To  your  fulminations  now; 

Easily  ordains  it  so, 

Hymen  Hymenaeus  O! 


61 


niSGETAIPOS. 


e<re  vvv 
<j>v\a  Trd 

€pO(f)6p\    €7Tt 

/cat  A.eo 


opc£ov  a)  fjiOLKcupa  o-y 


\aj3ov(Ta  o-vyxoptva-ov    a'i 
pwv  8e  Kov<f>i(ji)  cr'  eyw. 


XOPOS. 


PlSTHETAERUS. 

Follow  all,  birds  of  a  feather, 

Flock  and  follow,  as  you're  led, 

To  the  realm  of  sunny  weather, 

Where  the  nuptial  couch  is  spread !- 

Give  me  your  hand,  Birdie :  how  I 
Long  to  dance  with  you  to-day! 

Take  hold  of  my  wings,  and  now  I 
Whisk  you  clear  up  and  away ! 

CHORUS. 

Huzza,  huzza!     lo  triumphe! 
Huzza,  huzza!     Thrum,  thrum! 
Thrum  on  a  thousand  strings ! 
O  Conqueror  of  Kings ! 


Photomount 

Pamphlet 

Binder 

Gaylord  Bros.,  Inc. 

Makers 
Stockton,  Calif. 

PAT.  JAN.  21.  1908 


916834 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


